So, How Have You Been?

Wow…it’s been a while. I’ve become quite neglectful of this little blog here. There’s just been so much going on. Well, not really, but it certainly felt like a lot was going on.

I had been working a bit more and was a little more tired than usual, which isn’t anything to complain about, but combine that with the increased laziness in the summer…and you get over a month without an update on my blog.

Well, I guess I’ll sort out some of the things that I have been doing these past few weeks.

– Golden Bear Fever

I’ve fallen in love.

I love Berkeley. (Oski’s pretty cool too. He beats up trees.) A couple weeks ago, I went up to the campus for orientation. I even stayed a few days longer to explore and take in the surroundings. (They put me in the all-girls dorm for part of my stay. It wasn’t nearly as interesting as it may sound.)

The campus is beautiful, the libraries are huge, the buildings have cool architecture, the size is just right, and the surrounding city suits my tastes perfectly. There are also a billion great places to eat and hang out. Even the many bums hanging around the streets added to the charm. I’m sure that’ll change if I ever get mugged by one of them…

Walking around campus, I couldn’t believe I was going to be attending school there. Even now, after I’ve registered for nearly all my classes for the fall, it still hasn’t sunk in yet. (Well…more on this later.) I almost feel bad for the kid who couldn’t go there because they let little ole’ me in instead. Oh well…I’ll take it!

It was a bit awkward being a few years older than the rest of the kids at orientation, but whatever…I finally made it.

Here is some of what I saw:

clockwise from top left: 1. Memorial Glade and Doe Library 2. Sather Gate 3. Wheeler Hall (the English building) 4. Genetically modified trees with branches that look like roots when they shed their leaves! 5. The Campanile 6. Sproul Hall

But there’s always a little, dark cloud hanging over. There are some financial issues to work out with Berkeley that’s been a headache for a few weeks. It looks like everything will be fine but if things don’t pan out, I’ll have to switch schools (to USC, which isn’t a bad “fallback” I suppose).

I’m certain it will be a disappointing heartbreak to have to do that…

But if things keep going as planned, I will be gladly toiling away at this library in about a month:

I’m looking for the tower of learning,
I’m looking for the copious prize.

– Texas Fever

With all of the exciting news about school and stuff, I also figured that once I start up life again in the fall (wherever I end up), I won’t have much time to visit home, so I decided to spend a couple weeks back in the Texas heartland this summer, seeing parents and old friends.

It’s crazy how much people have changed. I’ve been out of these people’s lives for the past 5 years…and it showed. Kids at my dad’s church, who I watched (and taught!) since they were little babies are now getting all big and are rapidly losing those traces of childhood. It’s a bit surprising how fast my parents are aging too…

But it’s also refreshing to see how little has changed and I found the rush of familiarity comforting. It’s still the same ole’ San Antone and I’ve been doing nothing but basking in lazy sloth with nothing to do but eat, sleep, play, and take in all of the comfort and familiarity I can endure.

I always like going back home, largely because of how different it is from southern California. As I was riding home in the car from the airport and looking out at the open fields and familiar sights, I could already feel the pace of life slowing down. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m getting up to the roosters at 5am to go milk the cows or anything. It’s actually not that much different on the surface. Everything we have in California, we have in San Antonio, but it’s perhaps a little more spread out and definitely a lot less hectic.

And boy…it is HOT! It’s seriously like walking into an oven when you head out the front door to go anywhere during the day. Hell, it’s an oven at night too! That perfect California weather had weakened me into complaining about high 80’s “heat” but it’s like 100 degrees every damned day in Texas! I think I’m already getting used to it again though.

A few more days here and I’m off for the second part of my little vacation.

The skies are blue,
And Texas surrounds you so gracefully.

– I Heart NY

Photo by Trey Ratcliff. This guy is amazing.

I don’t know if I really love New York because I’ve only been there once before and it wasn’t much of a visit. But I will soon find out because I’m going there again this week!

I have a wonderful cousin who lives out there and after hearing I’d be in town for the weekend, she conjured up an itinerary for my trip.

No, seriously, it is a day-by-day, event-by-event full-blown ITINERARY, complete with meal and activity suggestions for the more flexible stuff. Here, take a look:

So yeah, this is probably going to be the best visit to New York ever.

I know New York, I need New York,
I know I need unique New York.

Well, I should be back and rolling now. I have some drafts lined up, including one particular post that features a blogger friend of mine who has a hidden talent!

Songs of the Day:
(from now on, all downloads except for huge mixtapes will be hosted directly. So just right-click and save-as.)

Rufus Wainwright – “The Tower of Learning”
Quiet Company – “So Gracefully”
The Decemberists – “Song for Myla Goldberg”
Simon & Garfunkel – “The Only Living Boy in New York”

Half of the time we’re gone but we don’t know where,
And we don’t know where.